Such perfect casting.
Actor Darren Criss has been nominated for his role in the limited series The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, which tells the story of Filipino-American serial killer Andrew Cunanan who infamously shot and killed the Italian fashion designer in 1997.
The nominations for the 2018 Primetime Emmys were released earlier today and Criss, who himself is Filipino-American, is one of six nominees under the Lead Actor in a Limited Series or a Television Movie category.
READ: New TV show retells story of Filipino American serial killer who shot Gianni Versace
He will be up against Antonio Banderas, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jeff Daniels, John Legend, and Jesse Plemons.
“It was important to me that we were true to Cunanan’s ethnicity (Filipino and Italian),” the show’s producer Ryan Murphy said in an interview with Variety about casting Criss, who he previously worked with on the musical comedy series Glee.
“I wanted Cunanan like Darren to be a discovery for the audience. The interesting thing about Cunanan is you don’t know what he’s capable of and to have the actor in it be on the same powerful journey and I think it is,” he said.
And it was perfect casting.
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Unlike the previous season of American Crime Story which was critically acclaimed, The Assassination of Gianni Versace received mixed reviews. However, most reviews praised Criss for his portrayal of serial killer Cunanan, with many calling him the highlight of the show.
Apart from Criss, Filipino Broadway actor Jon Jon Briones, who starred in Miss Saigon, also appears as the killer’s con-man father Modesto Cunanan.
This year’s Emmys will be held on September 17.
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